The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-09-29
WoRcEsrER,s MUSIC FEsTIYAL.
A Noteworthy Performance or Max Brueh'
.Arminus "-strange and strikins Fea
three OF the wsrk-The LeadipG Singer


!thirtieth annual music festival Of the Worcester
County Musical Association has passed. Two
concerts have been performed before immense
audiences. and 1t remains to record tho usual
mixed results OF the enterprise. II the festival
were to be considered solely from the point OF
view OF q scheme designed to bring out great
crowds and to pour much money Into the
treasury Of the association, It could be said
emphatically that the affair was q grand and
unqualified success. II 1t were to be viewed as
O social reunion Of friends who set out to enjoy
themselves In singing and listening to some
old music. and some comparatively now music,
IL would still be q success. But II 1t Is to be
viewed either as an enterprise intended to ex-
erciss On educational influence upon both the
public and the association through the works
performed, or as an enterprise having for its
incentive nothing but the love Of the art at its
best, then there would be many reservations to
be made in according favorable verdict
The initial number Of the festival WAS the
overture to Hector Berlioz's Roman Car
nivaL" Tho performance was excellent. 1t Is
q pleasure to record that the orchestra In the
hall is actually larger than that advertised In
the books OF the festival. It is 30 unusual to
find more. than il advertised IN such matters
that somebody should present the association
Eios Hubbard sang an sIs from ysrdrs
violin concerto by Bruch, and Mrs Maud Stark,
The afternoon. concert ended with . good
performance OF Mendelssohn's scotch Sym
The performance OF Max Bruch's "Arminus"
took up the entire evening. and was the prin;;
eipal event OF the day Il not Of the festival
he
II It were drama to be performed with oil the
accessories Of scenery and action: The story
e q sa% ior eec All the
Of the poem Is direct as Il the singers we're on
The and n as bsl they i, tbeIeore s
sSe ssdns to q 1 Doe license
In q sacred oratorio where the fiction Of the
stage might seem .undiignifled, II not sacrile-
gious. the leaving Of realism to the IMAGINATION
In secular choral works. where simple myths
Of legends or lofty odss are used as the basis
lar element Is perhaps desirable, just as it is
the poetic Language Of the book to the gilded
drsms5ic and personal Interest that involves
mot
turn OF victorious Germans displaying the In.
signia Of the triumph. there Is the strongest
haaS
ana not daushtsrs., and xsrrIqTs generally
should not be encumbered with skirts.
Max BruSh Is modern COMPOSER in !, point OF
progress in many portions Of his works. A
osnnrs a1S not Be ced By
matters Of form Bruch Is essentially hundred
years behind the times Brueh must us have had ,ad
time upon notes 81 the TOP q their register.
both parts have notes to sing that are so low
that. unaided by bases and contraltos, they
could not produce them audi6 tE ab9ve IN OF,
nay see Be- g e' hs MINI as ABOUT
voice. That the chorus suimounted ali the
should pat Itself on Is back, and an extra pat
merIcally at a disadvantage, made their part
agaibe fnd effective q every stage u.,o
that, considered apart from the Interest Of the
The ipayidHsl
choruses are evidences Of thorough knowledge
SP shes
%usIs + ops sS$ds better than the Tsssstiys
eether Inadequate and unworthy tho times in.
which IL was written.
sh sredt 81 ne
'ai tRs .?s
wore Identified as the douEhty German Warriors
Armi,.ls and SieomMnd; The one with glasses
Mr. sSa aSsr rhS
With red mous TS was Mr. " a LaTton.
E @ss o w oden better ef Fnowa t as Nine.
Helene Hastreiter They summoned their war
haps. Mr., Prehn. His voice was ADEQUATE to
hs h Se dsy and
hsrTself as faySrite Ct It onss :,
ts To-Day
was reason to bellows that The solo perform.
81 TSe q thss
was unhaGpily mixed; althouEh as the Dam,
concert s opened with iV @asnePs Fsust oser
ars of the As esss f nanSsr real
interest was Gade's first symphony a beau
trs3 9sass e %Sf fassnie p.ppsnhsl is
singer has not BEEN heard here ior some H
PSsslcaliy and vocsy than an even s the he addis
tion OF, years. would suggest; She was
Mighty Monster, from Webers Oberon. and
that sentimental nonsense Of Throgas known
was granted after tho first selection by the
persistent efforts Of people who felt an almost
a magnificent Performance of Berlioz's
,"Dsmnation Of Faust" was given in the even
Ing. with Nine. Julia yolda as Marguerite, Mr..
Theodore Toedt as Faust. Mr. Max Heinrich
rs Mephistopheies. and Mr.. Norcross as Mander.
The chorus and orchestra were well nigh per-
fection In their work. and all the soloists e1-